Random expressions of a Wannabe

The ‘Dwarfing’ of #Vishwaroopam!!!

Events in the last 2 weeks proved beyond doubt that in this Kalyug, even a Vishwaroopamcan be dwarfed and how! Kamal Haasan, the man who dwarfed himself 2 decades ago and played the role of a midget so well in the film Apoorva Sagotharargal (Appu Raja) wouldn’t have asked for this. This time his Magnum opus ‘Vishwaroopam’ was not allowed to show itself initially for 2 weeks in Tamil Nadu in anticipation of communal trouble – as a precaution. When have you seen any Govt. being so pro-active? What followed in the next few days dwarfed even a tense Indo-Pak one day game in terms of suspense, drama, turn of events and action. Ban, No Ban, Re Ban, Un ban, …,.. after a while it was beginning to get banal!

On the 3rd of Feb as I am writing this piece, it looks like ‘Vishwaroopam’ will see the light of the day in TN after Kamal agreed for the film to be edited by some super editors. I hope he gives them their due in the title credits! From here on, I see this setting a rather dangerous precedent. Film makers must now plan for showing their movies before hand to different fringe groups and take their blessings even after they have the censor board clearance in hand if they show something mirroring the society. Not that this is new (if you recall Maniratnam and Ram Gopal Verma showing their movies –“Bombay” and “Sarkar” to Shiv Sena Chief Bal Thackeray and taking his nod before hitting the theatres) But this is certainly new for Chennai or other parts of India. There will be some group or other in our highly heterogeneous, populous and emotional country which will have an issue of something or other and threaten to upset the law and order situation. And imagine what would happen if that group happen to be a vote bank of the ruling party?

I haven’t seen ‘Vishwaroopam’. From what I’ve heard and read in reviews, it certainly appears that it is not the 1st movie to have dealt with the subject it has. But it is certainly the 1st to have created such a big ruckus for doing that. Could it be that Mr.Haasan’s reputation of being a rebel came in the way of any rational discourse?

Even when Kamal was threatening to take the pre-release DTH route to showcase ‘Vishwaroopam’, it was due to this rebellious streak most thought. However, I for one was convinced that the DTH bogey was a marketing ploy to oversell the film and laugh his way to few banks! Why on earth otherwise one would bet on an alternate channel which had a share of 11% of the revenues and risk the conventional channel which has the lion’s share of revenue (over 70 % )? As marketers we always feel that pursuing alternate channels of distribution is our birthright whether right or wrong! So it is perfectly legitimate and smart on the part of the “Vishwa Nayagan” to pursue a new channel in the form of a DTH première for his film to bolster revenues. But couldn’t resist asking a few questions:

Was there a need to pursue that at the risk of your major channel that too for a film where you have admittedly bet all your assets?

Would ‘Dell’ sell its laptops to Indian consumer today only through “E-Comm/Online” channel because that’s their global model?

If there is no threat to the theatres and it is basically to tap the non theatre going audience – why can’t the DTH première be done after 2 weeks post the release? That audience in any case is not the one to catch first day first shows!

Would it not have been better to have ticked off this idea 1st with a less expensive off beat movie where the risks are much lower – and call the theatre owners bluff even if they threaten to boycott?

Considering that Kamal Hassan couldn’t have afforded a boycott for this film the high investments notwithstanding, I was convinced that the DTH posturing was more a clever PR drive to drive many of us directly to theatres as soon as the movie got released. That ‘Vishwaroopamic opening’ would have helped clear all his debts and ofcourse earned him accolades. With all the visibility in the media and the hype thanks to the DTH story, I thought that Kamal was hitting the bull’s eye.

It was not to be. The hype, hoopla and the reputation of the maker brought in closer scrutiny of the content and insecurities among Muslim groups and more drama followed. As Kamal set sail to Los Angeles for a global première, his local release got spiked by the Govt. first and then by the courts. That the release couldn’t catch initially the holiday weekend of Pongal and then the longer Republic Day weekend must have been telling on Kamal. That finally as an artist he had to yield and accept for a few cuts to get the film somehow released in his home state is certainly pragmatic and a commercial compulsion. But the entire ‘Vishwaroopam’ episode has exposed the politician-business-society nexus in different avatars and is a blow to creative freedom and freedom of expression in the country. As I mentioned before, I shudder to think what will happen to films which tend to reflect society tomorrow. I can’t help recall few lines of my all-time favourite poet – Subramania Bharathi in this context:

Good one Anand, but freedom of expression is a metro word. Feelings is an all India word. Social and popular media harp on this metro term, but ignore the absence of responsibility towards the rest of the society. At the end Kamal may have made some money, but stands exposed on his dishonesty in DTH and on his stance in the so called freedom of expression.

Hi TRS, hmmm, Freedom of expression being metro centric – Yes & No. Yes – may be there you have more avenues to express. No – for eg. if you take a look at the Gen Next of movie makers in Bollywood or far that matter in Tamil, they are all from the hinterland and they are all making movies which are more real & not necessarily nuanced. I’m sure they will also seek their freedom. Thanks and do keep posting your views.

Anand, very well written. Happy that you did not restrict your freedom of expression. Dared to write about Bombay & Sarkar incidents fearlessly. Proud to be your friend. Unfortunately the financial stakes are too high to take politicians head-on. Kamal had to make political adjustments. I Will love to see the movie with you…..hahahahaah… Prof Dr Ajit Patil

The problem with Kamal Hassan is he thinks too highly of himself, taken in by sycophants around him.
He is a good Actor, period..
As to this film Viswaroopam “நலங்கெட்ட வீணை ‘ -please read my review on Viswaroopam and allied subjects like Kamal insulting Hindus./Brahmins in the Film

Good one Anand. You know, that’s what the Indian system is capable of doing to great artists like him! Mine was more of a ‘Take out all your frustration type blog’, but this some how, explains the entire incident very well. great job!

Nicely Written Anand !!. I enjoyed Reading this post . Certainly Vishwaroopam is not the first movie to get banned due to communal riots, some really good movies like “kannathil Muthamital” were also banned due to such conflicts. Lets just hope, these things don’t continue in the future also .

Good one. While I stand by the fact that a politician-business nexus does not bode well for our country at large, the more important point here, I think, is that once govt starts bowing to fringe groups, there is no turning back. Our country is endowed with countless minorities and factioned majorities, so that somebody is going to get ‘hurt’ with every new incident.(be it film, marriage & divorce,music or even justice for that matter)

With the over-sensitive Indians that we have in our country, I agree with you that soon enough every film director will have to have a special pre-release screening of his film for various religious/ethnic/occupational communities.

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